A guide to the YLS interview
The reason for an interview
We interview applicants in order to get to know you better as a person, and to try to
assess your personal suitability for the course. Given the distinctive nature of PBL we
feel it is important to try to assess skills that cannot be easily assessed on the basis of
your UCAS form. As we interview we do not require LNAT.
Length and structure
The interview will last for about twenty minutes, and will consist of seven questions.
The questions fall under four broad headings. You will have one interviewer, who may
be an academic or practitioner or both. There may also be another person in the room
as a peer reviewer – i.e. to audit the quality of the interviewing process.
This guide
This document should give you an idea of the purpose of each section and what skills
we are testing for. It also gives you a couple of examples to illustrate the type of
questions you may be asked under each head. The questions you are asked will be
similar, but are unlikely to be the same as the questions shown here, so do not try to
learn answers to the questions listed. In any case, we are not looking for rehearsed
answers but ability to think about and engage with questions.
Recommended approach to the interview
 You will do best in your interview if you listen carefully and then try to answer
the question you are asked.
 Most importantly, try to relax and try to be genuinely yourself, rather than if
you give a prepared answer or tell us what you think we want to hear.
 There are no correct answers to any of these questions - our aim rather is to
understand how you think and reason.
Our approach to the interview
The interviewers are there to listen to your answers – not to engage in discussion with
you. They are genuinely interested in your way of dealing with the questions, your
personal opinions and feelings, your reflections on your experiences, and your ability
to explore issues from a number of different viewpoints.
The interview day itself is not meant to be an intimidating experience. It is an
opportunity to see the department, to hear a talk by the Head of Department, and to
meet and chat with our current students.
Question 0: Warm up question
The first question is a general question that is not assessed and gives you a chance to
ease yourself into the interview.
Question 1: Understanding of York Law School and Problem-Based learning
York Law School teaches using a technique called Problem-Based learning, details of
which you will find in our prospectus. The first assessed question in your interview will
look at your comfort with active learning and the different sorts of teaching employed
in PBL. This question is not looking for detailed knowledge of PBL theory, but some
understanding of what PBL is, and also some demonstration of PBL-suitable learning
styles. You may also be asked more generally about the YLS programme, as we would
like to know to which aspects, as well as PBL, you think you are well suited.
Example questions:
 What attracts you to Problem-based learning?
 What sort of a learner are you? Can you give examples?
Question 2: Self-awareness and reflection
PBL works best if students are reflective in their approach to work and learning, which
means being able to assess your own limitations and identify ways of addressing them.
This question is not a trick question to get you to dress a ‘positive’ point up as a
‘negative’ one. This question assesses your awareness of your own ability to learn
from what you do. We place a lot of importance on this attribute because we expect
students to learn ‘by doing’ as well as by reading, so it makes a considerable
difference to personal and academic development on the course.
Example questions:
 Have you ever been in a situation where you realise afterwards that what you
said or did was wrong? In hindsight, what would you have done differently?
 How do you think you personally will judge whether you have been successful in
your life? Why do those aspects of your life matter more than others?
Question 3: Groupwork
Problem-based learning takes place in small-group sessions. This question looks for an
understanding of group dynamics and different group roles. We also assess your
appreciation of the distinctive nature of a group-based learning environment and your
ability to take advantage of the strengths of group learning and work with its
weaknesses.
Questions we have asked under this heading in the past include:
 What aspects of working in a group have you most enjoyed? What aspects have
you found most challenging?
 Can you give an example of a serious disagreement within a group of which
you’ve been a part, and how it was resolved?
Questions 4 & 5: Logic and structured argument
These questions are designed to explore how well you can look at things in different
ways and from different perspectives. They also test how well you can process
information and think through different arguments clearly, building them up as you
answer, evaluating them and reaching a conclusion. We also look for an awareness of
the factors that influence your position.
Some of these questions may involve difficult issues, dilemmas, or current
controversies. Don’t panic - there really isn’t a right answer. Don’t try to second guess
the ‘preferences’ of the interviewers and don’t worry if you think your opinion might
be something with which they personally disagree.
You will be asked two questions under this heading.
Example questions:
 The government is considering allowing universities to increase tuition fees. Do
you think it is fair if a significant portion of these increases go to improving
academic pay?
 Should the government be allowed to hold suspected terrorists indefinitely
without trial?
Question 6: Creative thinking
While the previous question looked at structured and contextualised thinking, this
question looks at your ability to think in different ways, to present your own ideas, to
make conceptual connections and to apply your own (general) knowledge and
thoughts.
Example questions:


Do television programmes boost or damage the image of lawyers?
Is the law always fair?
Questions 1-6 Personal attributes and skills
Your interviewers will also be assessing how you demonstrate PBL related skills during
the course of the interview. These skills include listening and verbal communication
skills, judgement and empathy, self-awareness, an ability to construct succinct
answers, and to articulate thoughts. Do not worry, we are not looking for particular
personality types, and we recognise the limitations of the interview context. Very
different people can demonstrate these skills in different ways. For instance we
welcome candidates with a diverse range of learning styles, and people with very
different preferred group roles – but what they have in common is an aptitude for
active learning and working in groups. The interviewers will also look for some
attitudinal points in terms of suitability for working closely with others (e.g. patient,
polite, and unprejudiced).
And finally:
We just want to get a sense of who you are and how you work. If you simply try to be
yourself throughout the interview, you’ll be fine.